At the Beachside Village Resort, an inviting Atlantic Ocean shoreline is just 50 steps away. Many of the rooms bear the names of towns along the always-popular summer vacation peninsula, Cape Cod, Mass., and its offshore neighbor, Nantucket. The owner, David Gadsby, is a native New Englander who leans ever-so slightly toward the Boston Bruins.
A scene out of Chatham? Falmouth? Or Provincetown?
Nope. The BVR — with an affiliated namesake cafe just blocks away — is in Broward County’s Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. For South Floridians who might be having second thoughts about boarding a plane to somewhere else for a summer hiatus, the six-building, 46-unit resort offers a taste of the venerable Cape — without leaving town.
“It’s Cape Cod with palm trees but better weather,” Gadsby said.
If the theme gives Gadsby an edge, it’s a good time to boast. Reports across the country suggest American consumers are hesitant about booking long vacations in faraway places this summer. It’s not that they want to remain homebound. But economic uncertainties in the U.S. and geo-political conflicts abroad are causing many to consider staying closer to home, according to industry analysts and marketing executives.
“For South Floridians, there is a good deal of cross-county travel among the South Florida counties,” said Peter Ricci, director of the tourism and hospitality management program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business. “Although there is no official ‘recession’ reported, anecdotal evidence suggests consumers are still cash ‘light’ and travel-desire ‘heavy.’”
Phil Galdys and his wife, Suzi just finished a vacation at the BVR with a small cadre of friends. They elected to pass on a trip to Italy this year, but largely for personal, not economic reasons, said Phil Galdys, a consultant for an SBA small business development center.
The couple, though cognizant of the political upheavals from Washington, isn’t allowing the noise to keep them stranded at home.
“The balance in the bank reconciles a little bit lower than it regularly does,” Galdys said. “But you’re hopeful you can do what you do and you focus on yourself. You don’t sit there and plug in a TV every night and ride this uncertainty. At the end of the day this will all level off. From a day-to-day standpoint, there is no need to make any extreme adjustments. We’re not taking that approach at this time.”
Besides, the couple has been visiting the BVR for more than a decade.
“Their staff is on the same page,” Galdys said of the resort, which in 2018 was ranked No. 2 in a national TripAdvisor survey. “They are customer service-forward and very client-centric. They have developed this culture. It really resonates from the time you get there to the time you leave.”
Housekeeper Lisa Holifield perfects pillows as she makes a bed at Beachside Village Resort in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)Gadsby said he occasionally offers a free night to area guests who stay for two nights. His room rates for the summer, which is always a slower season than the fall and winter, range from $20 to about $100 less a night, depending on the room type and season.
Every guest request is greeted with a “yes,” Gadsby said. And he expects the formula will hold in today’s tense travel climate.
A shift in promotional dollars
Appearing at a county-sponsored lunch featuring the economic contributions of the airport, seaport, transit system and tourism promotion agency, Stacy Ritter, CEO and president of Visit Lauderdale, warned this summer will be a difficult proposition for attracting visitors.
“International travel is down,” she told the Sun Sentinel. “There is so much uncertainty, and we’re taking a hard look at that. The demand is not there in the summer for us. It’s not our season. It’s always been slower.”
“Americans are going to travel within the lower 48 [states],” she added. “They are staying closer to home.”
As a result, Ritter said the agency is contemplating a shift in promotional dollars spent abroad to U.S. cities that Visit Lauderdale does not normally solicit.
At the NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum in Washington this past week, CoStar and Tourism Economics downgraded their U.S. hotel growth projections for 2025-26.
“Top-line performance is still growing even in the current environment,” said Amanda Hite, president of STR, the industry analytics firm owned by CoStar. “Until consumer confidence improves, however, demand is going to remain softer — especially in the middle- and lower-price tiers.”
“Booking windows have shortened,” Hite added, a factor that will add “to challenges hoteliers will face in the coming quarters.”
If you decide to leave
The uncertainties are not lost on the airlines, some of which are cutting schedules. Their executives are being cautious with what they say when inquiring Wall Street analysts ask about financial forecasts.
Carriers from discounter Spirit Airlines, still the busiest operator at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, to American Airlines, the predominant carrier at Miami International Airport, have been amping up their promotions. Discounters in particular are connecting South Florida with so-called “overlooked” small and mid-sized cities. Just don’t expect a flood of bargains as low-cost carriers spend more to compete with legacy airlines by upgrading their onboard services.
A sampling:
Spirit: The company expanded redemptions for its “Free Spirit” loyalty program members. They include the airline’s new extra-legroom seating option and trips to popular destinations.
“Nothing says summer like taking a vacation, and our savvy guests know the best way to make those PTO plans is by redeeming flights to beautiful destinations with their Free Spirit points,” Rana Ghosh, senior vice president and chief commercial officer at Spirit, said in a prepared statement.
You can redeem points for flights starting as low as 2,500 points, the company said. Top destinations redeemed by members for trips between June 1 and Aug. 31 include Florida, as well as Nevada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Colombia.
Spirit Airlines, fresh out of bankruptcy court, has gotten smaller, reshaped its route network and upgraded its onboard services as it competes for a picky and cautious crop of summer vacation travelers. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)In addition, savings can be achieved by booking packages through Spirit Vacations, which can arrange flights and book hotel rooms and car rentals for the same trip..
But year-over-year, Spirit’s summertime flights for 2025 reportedly have been reduced by 24%, a function of the carrier’s financial reorganization during its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which concluded in March. The airline, though, is venturing into new territories, most recently introducing flights to Chattanooga, Tenn., and Columbia, S.C.
From a service standpoint, it’s a new profile for Spirit, which recently was named “Best Airline Overall” for 2025 by WalletHub.
American: The carrier, which serves all three of South Florida’s international airports, said it launched its largest summer travel schedule since before the COVID pandemic. On Thursday, it added service to Rome from Miami. It is also increasing frequencies to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, Las Vegas, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Los Angeles and New York’s LaGuardia Airport. It expects to have operated more than 37,200 flights from MIA between May 16 and Sept. 2.
Allegiant: The Las Vegas-based airline, whose business is hitched to an affiliated travel company, has an array of “bundles” each month. Among the new cities it is introducing this summer: South Bend, Ind., at the end of August.
Frontier: The Denver-based discounter, which had a penchant for launching unsuccessful takeover bids for Spirit Airlines, launched an “unlimited companion travel benefit” for its most frequent flyers for the summer season in May. Qualified program members can choose any friend or family member they wish to accompany them for free on any Frontier flight.
Rail connections
Amtrak: The national passenger rail service offers an array of vacation packages pegged to U.S. national parks. It also maintains a long list of discounts for kids, students, senior citizens, active duty military personnel, military veterans, and small groups traveling together.
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